Lee Bowyer helped Leeds pull off a remarkable great escape to help clinch a stunning come-from-behind Champions League triumph at home to Anderlecht.

The Belgian champions had silenced the majority of the 36,000 crowd inside Elland Road by grabbing a shock 65th-minute lead through Romania international Alin Stoica in this crunch Group D encounter.

But Ian Harte hauled Leeds level with a thunderbolt of a 30-yard free-kick before Bowyer sealed a sensational success with the winner four minutes from time to leave David O'Leary's side in pole position for a place in the quarter-finals.

Such a success was all the more remarkable given Bowyer was in the dock at Hull Crown Court just five hours before conjuring up his inspirational strike.

Despite the revelations surfacing in the last two days from the case involving Bowyer and team-mates Jonathan Woodgate, Michael Duberry and Tony Hackworth, O'Leary had no hesitation in naming the midfielder in the starting line-up.

O'Leary's faith in Bowyer was ultimately rewarded by the goal and what was another power-packed display from the 24-year-old as Elland Road witnessed one of those never-to-be-forgotten European nights.

The three points means Leeds now have a stranglehold on second place behind Real Madrid, who virtually eliminated Italian champions Lazio with a 3-2 victory at the Bernabeu Stadium.

A point next Wednesday at Anderlecht's Constant Vander Stock Stadium will be almost enough to guarantee United a previously unimaginable place in the last eight.

Anderlecht, however, have won all 17 home matches in all competitions this season, including their four in the Champions League, with their greatest scalp being that of Manchester United.

While perhaps there was no great surprise at Bowyer's inclusion, there was a shock at the sight of Woodgate being named among the six United substitutes.

Woodgate has apparently been struggling with a heel injury which had led to him missing Leeds' last four matches, but was on a bench which included only five other United players.

Although seven subs are allowed for Champions League matches, continuing injury problems ensured O'Leary was only able to add the names of Harry Kewell, Eirik Bakke, Jason Wilcox, Paul Robinson and Jacob Burns to that of Woodgate.

Alan Smith took his place in attack alongside Mark Viduka in the absence of the ineligible Robbie Keane, with the Republic of Ireland striker having played in the qualifying stages for Inter Milan.

Smith soon made his presence felt with a clattering challenge on Yves Vanderhaeghe after just 60 seconds of a first half which was unrelenting in pace, but conjured up little in the way of entertaining goalmouth action.

Despite Anderlecht's dismal European record in England, having lost 10 of their previous 11 matches and scoring just four goals in the process, they looked the more lively during the opening stages.

Romania international Alin Stoica drilled in a low 25-yard right-foot drive which forced Nigel Martyn into a smothering save, before Anderlecht then came within a whisker of taking the lead.

Bertrand Crasson's deceiving eighth minute cross from the right wing into the heart of the Leeds area was unable to be cut out by skipper Lucas Radebe.

The giant 6ft 7ins frame of Czech Republic striker Jan Koller - being watched by Sunderland manager Peter Reid - just managed to touch the ball on, diverting it away from Martyn.

But the pace of the ball was also too much for the arriving Bart Goor as he was a coat of boot polish away from steering it home as he dived in at the far post.

Leeds then looked to impose themselves on the game, with David Batty proving a driving force, the midfielder laying off a long 22nd minute pass to Harte.

The left-back rifled in a screaming 35-yard drive which flew through a crowd of players, leaving Zvonko Milojevic to make a smart save low to his right to deny Leeds the opener.

From the first booking of the game in the 24th minute, Anderlecht skipper Glen de Boeck was shown the yellow card after bringing Viduka down from behind, Leeds carved out their best chance at that point.

With the ball eventually falling to Smith in the area, he was able to tee up Viduka for a low shot on the turn which was an inch wide of Milojevic's left-hand post.

Anderlecht at least showed great speed on the counter with a 36th minute move leading to Koller setting up Vanderhaeghe for another powerful drive from just outside the area.

Martyn had the shot covered but was fortunate there was no Anderlecht player following up as he allowed the ball to squirm from his grasp before collecting it at the second attempt.

Leeds then found another gear at the start of the second period, with the roof lifted off Elland Road when Harry Kewell was introduced in the 53rd minute for the ineffective Dominic Matteo.

But totally against the run of play, Anderlecht grabbed a shock lead with their first meaningful attack of the second half.

There appeared to be no danger as Koller chested down a through ball into the path of Stoica, the Romanian then exchanging a delightful one-two on the edge of the area with Goor.

Batty just failed to intercept with a last-ditch challenge, allowing Stoica a clear sight of goal and deceiving Martyn with a right-foot shot as he passed the ball into the back of the net from 14 yards.

It looked as if the death knell was beginning to sound on Leeds' European dreams, their form at home - having lost five Premiership games and having been booted out of the FA Cup in front of their own fans - on the brink of letting them down again.

But when Harte teed up a 30-yard free-kick a buzz of anticipation swept round the ground and the Republic of Ireland international duly delivered a with a fierce drive beyond the wall, with the pace of the ball and one decisive bounce enough to beat Milojevic.

Then with four minutes remaining, Bowyer sent the Leeds fans wild with delight as he first latched onto a pass from Smith before beating the advancing Milojevic, and that after Koller had minutes earlier missed a sitter as he spooned a looping pass from strike partner Tomasz Radzinski over the bar.

In the dying minutes Martyn was forced into a full stretch save to deny Walter Baseggio, but it completed a remarkable comeback for Leeds and now they are within touching distance of the quarter-finals as their form in Europe again belied their domestic underachievements.

Teams:

Leeds: Martyn, Mills, Harte, Radebe, Ferdinand, Bowyer, Dacourt (Bakke 73), Batty, Matteo (Kewell 53), Smith, Viduka.

Subs Not Used: Robinson, Woodgate, Wilcox, Burns.

Booked: Bowyer.

Goals: Harte 74, Bowyer 86.

Anderlecht: Milojevic, Crasson, Dheedene, Ilic, De Boeck, Vanderhaeghe, Stoica, Baseggio, Goor, Koller, Radzinski.

Subs Not Used: Carlier, Van Diemen, Hasi, Pirard, Dindane, Youla, Traore.

Booked: De Boeck.

Goals: Stoica 65.

Att: 36,064

Ref: Karl-Erik Nilsson (Sweden).